Three years ago today, I was rocked to the core of who I am. It was not the first time this had happened, but I have to say, it hurt the worst of all. This is especially true when it is something that you had worked so very hard for and gave you all too. I was told that I was being laid off at my job as department head of a successful in-plant printing operation. The economy played a role in what happened and yes, there were some stupid decision by upper management also contributed to what happened.
The story behind all this is long and there is not enough time to tell it in this short blog. For a while I had been feeling uneasy about my job there and had gotten to the point of just going thought the motions of life and work. You know what I mean; I seemed I had lost my heart for lots of things. In hindsight, the scary thing is that I had settled for something less than what I was created for. I had gotten to the place where I could had settled for something less than the abundant life God was offering those who followed in Faith where he leads. So, in retrospect, I had to be kicked out of the boat, so to speak and had to focus on God to lead me through.
It was through spending time alone with God that I began to see a bigger plan for my life that I had been called too. I began to realize that there was more to life than the chasing after wealth, status and security. Life as and is an adventure to be lived each day.
Adventure by its definition is living in the unknown, following a crazy God given dream. You see, I was finely ready to stop EARNING a leaving and begin to embrace life defined by my Creator. Mike Ashcraft, senior pastor at Port City Community Church says it best, “That every longing is a longing for life and real life can only be found in Christ”.
I have some to understand this simple but important truth more and more each day. Embracing the life I was created for and defined by God take Faith. Faith is not something that just happened, it is like a muscle, it has to be used and built up. If you are a runner, you know you can’t run a sub 16 minute 5 K race on day number one, you have to work to achieve that goal. Faith is the same.
God has grown me in Faith each day since that day in February 2010. Because of being laid off, I am learning how to live a life that is far beyond anything I could have ever imagined. It is all because of faith in the one who made me and someone who will never leave or abandon me, Christ Jesus.
Where are you at today? What are you being called to do by Faith? Don’t be like me, hard headed and stubborn, having to be kicked out of the boat. Step out and follow where God is leading you today. I will not be easy, but it will be very rewarding in more ways than you can imagine. Faith in Christ can do more than you can dream.
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